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Bench racing the MR-Spyder

To: autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Bench racing the MR-Spyder
From: Craig Blome <cblome@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 16:25:13 -0800 (PST)
I wandered over to Toyota's Web page and had a look at
the preliminary specs for next year's MR-Spyder, the
potential B Stock challenger to the Miata, at
<http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/future/spyder/spyder_specs.html>.
 It's impossible to really tell anything from paper,
but some of the following things caught my eye:

1.  The MR-S has a _substantially_ wider track than the
Miata, yet is only 0.6" wider overall.

2.  The sequential gearbox that the magazines think is
an automatic appears to be a manual after all.  The
page fairly screams "It's a MANUAL!  NOT an AUTOMATIC!"
 I wonder if it will bang off shifts in 0.3 seconds
like the F355 F1...nah, prolly not.

3.  I hope the larger rear tires mean that Toyota won't
put an insane amount of understeer-for-safety in like
my stock X1/9.

4.  You don't suppose the Boxster resemblance is
intentional, do you?

Is this the car to best the invincible Miata?  Dunno. 
But I'll definitely test drive it.  Heaven help the
poor salesdroid... >;-)

Cheers,
Craig Blome
Texas Spokes SCC, Austin, TX

ENGINE 
                    '00 MR-S            '99 Miata
    displacement
                  1.8 L/1,795 cc        1.8 L/1,839 cc

    horsepower (SAE)
                  >138 hp               140 hp
    torque
                  127                   119

    TRANSMISSION 
    5-speed manual                      5-speed manual
    5-speed sequential manual           6-speed manual


    SUSPENSION 
    front/rear 
                  MacPherson strut      double
wishbone

    TIRES AND WHEELS 
    front 
                  P185/55R15            P185/60R14 
                                        P195/50R15
    rear 
                  P205/50R15            P185/60R14
                                        P195/50R15
    wheel size, front 
                  15x6 in.              14x6, 15x6 in.
    wheel size, rear 
                  15x6.5 in.            14x6, 15x6 in.


    EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS 
    wheelbase 
                    96.5 in.            89.2 in.
    length/width/height
                    151.6/66.7/48.0    
155.3/66.1/48.4
                    in. 
    track (f/r) 
                    58.3/61.5 in.       55.7/56.7

    VEHICLE MASS 
    curb weight (2-door M/T)
    2,218-2,230 lbs. (est.)             2,299 lbs.
Do You Yahoo!?


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